In a land I thought I knew

A poem I wrote during my travels through the Palatinate forest in Germany. I have been tweaking this poem for some time now but felt like it was time to share! Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

I stood on the back of a sandstone giant,

as the chestnut trees decked themselves

in an array of pink crowns. A black cat pawed

its way across a quiet street in pursuit of a mouse.

 

I am crossing his country now. Deep, mossy

forests where the red sand lies thick in the riverbeds.

Not a soul stumbles on my encampment, as I kneel

in a stream to wash casings of sweat from my limbs - 

 

my feet disappearing into the sand like

the ocean. Rooted, I throw armfuls

of cold water over my shoulders. ‘Wash me

clean,’ I beg the river,

 

but the stolen opal still lies where I left it

on the bank between the nettles. And the dried

flowers of a dead love hang from the branch

of a Birch sapling.

 

A fern sleeps pressed between the pages

of my notebook, as if it will help me remember

forever what I will soon forget.

 

Reviews

[Ballpark Frank]

You are a poet.

The line: A fern sleeps pressed between the pages of my notebook, as if it will help me rememberforever what I will soon forget.....

That's poetry. That's skill. I don't have that. Most don't. Keep posting!

[Rana]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review this and I'm so glad you enjoyed :) I also greatly enjoyed writing it! I'm fairly new to writing poetry but it feels very familiar to me.